Pipe fittings are used to join together lengths of pipe. They have two or more fitting ends, connected via short lengths of tubing. Fittings for threaded pipe have at least one fitting end that is threaded, and may be male or female in a variety of different diameters, as needed to threadingly mate with a given threaded pipe end.
Angled fittings have a bend in the tubing between two of the fitting ends. Three of the most common varieties of angled fittings are the elbow fitting, which comprises two female threaded ends joined by a specific angle of tubing (usually 90 degrees, but other angles are available, e.g. 45 degrees, 22.5 degrees); the tee fitting, which comprises three threaded ends, which can be male or female, two of which are joined by a straight length of tubing, and one of which is at a 90 angle to the other two; and the street elbow, which is similar to the elbow fitting, except that one of the threaded ends has a male thread.
Angled fittings typically require the use of a pipe wrench for installation and removal. A pipe wrench typically comprises a handle and an adjustable/rocking jaw that are arranged such that forward force exerted upon the handle causes the adjustable jaw to rock back in a way that tightens the jaw, and backward force on the handle tends to loosen it. Thus, when the jaw is loosened, the wrench can be rotated while the loosened jaw slips around the pipe. Teeth also line the interior of the jaw such that forward force on the handle causes the teeth to dig into an object (e.g. a pipe fitting) placed within the jaw of the pipe wrench. Thus, forward force exerted upon the handle tightens the jaw until the object within the jaw turns with the wrench. Once the wrench reaches the end of its range of movement, backward force is applied to the handle to loosen the jaw, and the wrench may be rotated back within its range of movement to re-grip the object for further tightening. The range of movement of a conventional pipe wrench is determined by whatever structure or immovable obstacles surround the object being tightened. For example, when installing and/or removing pipe fittings, it is common to be assembling pipe lines along or between walls or joists.
Several problems exist with the current state of the art in pipe fitting installation and removal, especially when said installation and/or removal occurs in limited access areas. Where angled fittings have been installed in confined spaces or where surrounding equipment has been installed after an initial pipe installation, conventional pipe wrenches can render pipe installation extremely inconvenient. This is because conventional pipe wrenches require the use of a long handle, which places space at a premium during installation. This problem is further exacerbated by the bulkiness of the jaw of a conventional pipe wrench, which often severely restricts the jaw's range of movement. For example, the jaw wraps around three sides of an imaginary square containing the round pipe/fitting, and the jaw has strengthening structure extending outward from the jaw faces. Compounding the problem is the fact that the first part of the tightening movement is lost to the rocking jaw movement until it tightens enough to be able to turn the fitting. Consequently, pipe installation and removal professionals are either forced to remove and reinstall surrounding equipment or else struggle to work around it, using a wrench limited to a very small effective range of movement (10 to 20 degree effective range is not uncommon). Under these conditions, pipe and fitting assembly is frustratingly slow, excessively difficult and inefficient.
The tendency for conventional pipe wrenches to slip while being forcefully turned adds to the difficulty of tight quarters work and also adds risk of injury to piping professionals and/or damage to nearby equipment and structures. Additionally, the slippage inherent in conventional pipe wrenches can decrease overall productivity. Finally, the teeth in conventional pipe wrenches tend to mar and/or score pipe/fitting surfaces.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a tool that is capable of installing and removing pipe fittings more efficiently, especially in limited access areas, thereby increasing productivity and reducing the risk of damage and injury.